2014-15 News Releases

February 26, 2015Former Eagle Michael Roos Retires After 10-Year NFL Career as a Three-Time All-ProRoos Field will probably see a little more of Michael Roos now. The former Eastern Washington University and Tennessee Titans offensive tackle announced his retirement from the National Football League on Thursday (Feb. 26) after his 10th season as a pro was ended by a knee injury last Oct. 5 that required surgery. He earned All-Pro accolades in 2008, 2010 and 2011, and started in the Pro Bowl in February of 2009.

February 10, 2015Eastern Football & Other Sports Will Be in KHQ Studios TONIGHT Raising Money for Special OlympicsMembers of the Eastern Washington University football program and other sports will man telephones at KHQ Television in Spokane TONIGHT (Feb. 10) from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to raise funds for Special Olympics and the upcoming “Polar Plunge.” The players will take calls live on television from viewers and collect credit card contributions towards Special Olympics Washington. For every $50 earned, one student-athlete will be rewarded with a plunge into the frigid waters of Liberty Lake on Saturday, Feb. 28.

February 4, 20152015 SIGNING DAY: Eagles Sign 21 to Letters of Intent, Featuring Large Group of Large Offensive LinemenFamiliarity – and success and tradition – helped the Eastern Washington University football team in the 2015 recruiting season.
Featuring six offensive linemen, a home-grown defensive player and the brother of a two-time Eastern All-American, head football coach Beau Baldwin announced the signing of 21 high school players on Wednesday (Feb. 4) to letters of intent to attend EWU and play for the Eagles.

January 30, 2015Eagles Change Coaching Staff AssignmentsA veteran of 11 previous years on the Eastern Washington University football coaching staff, safeties coach Jeff Schmedding will take over as defensive coordinator as part of the changes announced by head coach Beau Baldwin.

January 28, 2015Challenges Abound Again for Eagles in 2015The Eastern Washington University football team will challenge itself early and often later this year, as the school’s 2015 schedule has been officially announced. The 11-game schedule is still considered tentative and changes are possible, and game times will be announced this summer.

January 27, 201569 Selected to Fall All-Academic TeamA total of 69 Eastern Washington University student-athletes have been honored on the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team for fall quarter 2014. Of the total, 28 were from football, 17 were from women's soccer, nine from volleyball, nine from women's cross country and six from men's cross country.

January 24, 2015Cody Hecker from Sandpoint is EWU’s Special Teams Player of the YearCody Hecker – one of 20 departing seniors for the Eastern Washington University football team – won the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year honor at Saturday’s (Jan. 24) annual Eastern Washington University Awards Banquet at the Pence Union Building on the EWU campus in Cheney, Wash.

December 24, 2014Aaron Neary & Jake Miller Added to EWU’s List of All-AmericansJunior offensive guard Aaron Neary and punter Jake Miller join a list of five other Eastern Washington University football player receiving All-America honors, as seven Eagles were included on the Beyond Sports Network (beyondsportsnetwork.com) NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America team announced this week.

December 23, 2014Cooper Kupp Repeats on The Sports Network All-America First TeamIt’s unanimous again, Cooper Kupp is a two-time consensus All-American. The Eastern Washington University sophomore wide receiver is the lone Eagle to be selected by The Sports Network to its All-America first team it was announced on Tuesday (Dec. 23). Junior quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and senior offensive tackle Jake Rodgers were named to the second team.

December 17, 2014Adams Earns First Team All-America Honors from Associated PressEastern Washington University’s Vernon Adams Jr. has been selected as the top quarterback in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, as the record-breaking Eagle junior joined two other Eagles as first team All-America selections as chosen by the Associated Press.

December 15, 2014Adams Finishes as Walter Payton Award Runner-Up AgainA sensational career was validated once again in Philadelphia, Pa.
For the second-straight season, Eastern Washington University junior quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. finished as the runner-up for the Walter Payton Award given to the top player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for the 28th time. Villanova’s John Robertson won the coveted award at Monday’s (Dec. 15) FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation.

December 15, 2014AFCA Selects Jake Rodgers and Cooper Kupp to its All-America TeamHelping Eastern Washington University finish the 2014 season 11-3 and set several school and Big Sky Conference scoring records, offensive tackle Jake Rodgers and wide receiver Cooper Kupp have earned prestigious All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association, it was announced Monday morning (Dec. 15).

December 13, 2014Another Trip to Semifinals Slips Through EWU’s Hands in 59-46 LossThe Redbirds gave the Eagles a taste of their own medicine. With an offense that scored the first nine times they had the ball and continually extended drives with conversions on third and fourth down, Illinois State advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs with a 59-46 victory over Eastern Washington Saturday (Dec. 13) at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.

December 8, 2014QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW: Eagles Play Redbirds Again in Another Meeting on the Red TurfThe Redbirds are back for another taste of the red turf.
In a repeat of a 2012 quarterfinal game at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., the fourth-seeded Eastern Washington University football team will host fifth-seeded Illinois State from Normal, Ill., on Saturday (Dec. 13) at 1:05 p.m. in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs.

December 4, 2014Five Eagles Honored on Initial All-America Team for 2014The first NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America team has been announced, and five Eagles have been selected to the squad selected by College Sports Madness (http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/fcs-football).

December 4, 2014Cooper Kupp Adds Esteemed Academic All-America Honor to his List of AccoladesSophomore wide receiver Cooper Kupp has had an honor-filled career already for the Eastern Washington University football program, but he added a new honor on Thursday (Dec. 4). The 2012 graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., has been selected to the Capital One Academic All-America® Division I football team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

December 2, 2014Vernon Adams Jr. a Finalist Again for Payton Award Presented by The Sports NetworkEastern Washington’s Vernon Adams Jr. and Idaho State’s Justin Arias waged quite a battle at “The Inferno” back on Oct. 4. Now, their battle is with Villanova’s John Robertson for the coveted Walter Payton Award given annually by The Sports Network to the top player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.

December 1, 2014PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Eagles Host Griz in Rematch of Nov. 8 Game at “The Inferno”It’s back-to-back at “The Inferno” for the Eastern Washington University football team. The Eagles will host Big Sky Conference rival Montana in a second-round game in the NCAAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs on Saturday (Dec. 6) at 1:35 p.m. Pacific time at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.

November 24, 2014Shaq Hill Honored by Big Sky; Voting Begins for Payton AwardEastern junior wide receiver/kickoff returner Shaq Hill has received ROOT SPORTS Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the Big Sky Conference after having a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in EWU’s 56-34 title-clinching win at Portland State on Nov. 21.

November 23, 2014Eastern Receives #4 Seed and Will Host FCS Game Dec. 6 at 1:30 p.m.Back-to-back games at “The Inferno” versus the Grizzlies? It’s possible. The Eastern Washington University will host a second-round game on Dec. 6 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific time at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., after receiving a No. 4 seed when the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff pairings were announced Sunday (Nov. 23) morning.

November 22, 2014Eagles Watch and Wait Before -- and After -- Sunday’s FCS Playoffs Pairings AnnouncementThe Eagles will wait today, then do some more waiting. The Eastern Washington University football team, fresh off clinching its third-straight Big Sky Conference championship with a win over Portland State, will find out Sunday (Nov. 23) morning at 8 a.m. Pacific time what the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff pairings will look like.

November 21, 2014Big Sky “Three-Peat” for Eagles With 56-34 Win Over VikingsIt’s great to win eight, but it’s also sweet to “three-peat.” With Walter Payton Award candidate Vernon Adams Jr. leading the way, the fifth-ranked Eastern Washington University football team secured at least a share of its third-straight Big Sky Conference title – and its eighth overall – with a 56-34 victory over Portland State Friday (Nov. 21) at Providence Park in rain-drenched Portland, Ore.

November 17, 2014Eighth Big Sky Title on the Line for No. 5 EWU at Portland StateDespite the overwhelming numbers on the side of the Eastern Washington University football team, there is no such thing as a gimme in the topsy-turvy Big Sky Conference race. A high playoff seed and an eighth Big Sky title -- including the school’s first-ever three-peat – will be on the line this Friday (Nov. 21) for the fifth-ranked Eagles when they end the Big Sky Conference regular season at Portland State.

November 8, 2014Vernon Adams Jr. Returns to Lead Fifth-Ranked Eastern Past No. 11 Montana 36-26Walter Payton Award candidate Vernon Adams Jr. is back. The Eastern Washington University junior quarterback returned after missing four games with a broken foot to pass for 410 yards and four touchdowns, and the fifth-ranked Eagles held off No. 11 Montana 36-26 Saturday (Nov. 8) in a pivotal game in the chase to the 2014 Big Sky Conference football title.

November 3, 2014No. 5 Eagles and No. 11 Grizzlies Square off at Roos FieldLet the pseudo league playoffs begin! Two schools with a trio of national titles and 32 total playoff berths between them, fifth-ranked Eastern Washington and No. 11 Montana square off this Saturday (Nov. 8) in a pivotal game in the chase to the 2014 Big Sky Conference football title.

November 1, 2014No. 6 Eagles Roll Past North Dakota, 54-3A 26-yard interception return for a touchdown by redshirt freshman Moe Roberts put the exclamation point on a 31-point second quarter and the sixth-ranked Eastern Washington University football team went on to beat UND 54-3 Saturday (Nov. 1) at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., in EWU’s 88th-annual Homecoming Game.

October 27, 2014Homecoming for No. 6 Eagles as North Dakota VisitsThe Eagles have been down this road before. So far matching its won-lost performance from two seasons ago, the Eastern Washington University football team hosts North Dakota Saturday (Nov. 1) at 2:05 p.m. at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. Another sold-out crowd will be on hand for EWU’s 88th-annual Homecoming Game.

October 25, 2014Despite Career Day by Forte, Eastern Stunned by Lumberjacks 28-27Quincy Forte provided a stunning second-half performance, but the Lumberjacks one-upped him. Despite Forte’s career-high 219 yards rushing, Northern Arizona drove 77 yards on just three plays in the final minute to stun the second-ranked Eastern Washington University football team 28-27 Saturday (Oct. 25) at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Ariz.

October 20, 2014Tough Road Test in Store for Eagles at Northern ArizonaAnything is possible in the Big Sky Conference, and that’s what will make this Saturday’s (Oct. 25) game highly unpredictable when the second-ranked Eastern Washington University football team plays at Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz.

October 18, 2014Jordan West, Defense Solid in 26-18 Win Over Northern ColoradoIn a game that came down to the final minutes, the result was a win for the Eagle defense.
Sophomore quarterback Jordan West passed for 237 yards and a touchdown to help EWU open a 10-0 lead it would never relinquish, but it was an interception by freshman redshirt Victor Gamboa that clinched a 26-18 victory for the second-ranked Eastern Washington University football team over Northern Colorado Saturday (Oct. 18) in a Big Sky Conference game at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.

October 13, 2014No. 2 Eastern Hosts Takeaway-Minded Northern ColoradoNothing ever comes easy in the Big Sky Conference. The second-ranked Eastern Washington University football team hosts a Northern Colorado team on the upswing when the two teams play in front of a sold-out crowd Saturday (Oct. 18) at 1:05 p.m. Pacific time at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The Bears lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in interceptions and are second nationally in turnover margin.

October 11, 2014No. 2 Eastern Uses One-Two Rushing Punch in Support of West to Beat Southern Utah 42-30The running game came through. But so did sophomore Jordan West. The second-ranked Eastern Washington University football team rushed for 280 yards to take pressure off the first career start by West, and the Eagles went on to defeat Southern Utah 42-30 Saturday (Oct. 11) in a Big Sky Conference game at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City, Utah.

October 6, 2014No. 2 Eastern Returns to Road to Face Southern UtahWith a similar lofty ranking, the Eagles are returning to the scene of the crime. The second-ranked Eastern Washington University football team heads to Cedar City, Utah, this Saturday (Oct. 11) to face the last team to beat the Eagles in a Big Sky Conference game.

October 5, 2014Vernon Adams Jr. Out 3-6 Weeks With Broken FootEastern Washington University quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate Vernon Adams Jr. will be lost 3-6 weeks with two broken metatarsal bones in his right foot, Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin announced Sunday (Oct. 5).

September 29, 2014The Wait is Over, No. 2 Eagles Host Bengals at Roos FieldIt’s like a season opener all over again. The Eastern Washington University football team plays its first home game in over a month when the Eagles host Idaho State and former Eagle head coach Mike Kramer Saturday (Oct. 4) at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.

September 28, 2014Eastern Gets by UC Davis 37-14 in League OpenerIt wasn’t easy – and sometimes excruciating – but the Eastern Washington University football team got by UC Davis 37-14 in its first-ever game in Davis., Calif., Saturday (Sept. 27) at Aggie Stadium. The victory came in EWU’s Big Sky Conference opener for the defending league champions.

September 22, 2014After Showing Plenty of Heart, Big Sky Conference Play Begins at UC DavisAfter a heart-pounding win to open the season, a heart-breaking loss at Washington and a heart-stopping victory at Montana State, this week the Eastern Washington University football team heads to foreign territory. The second-ranked Eagles open their 2014 Big Sky Conference schedule when EWU plays its first-ever game at UC Davis this Saturday (Sept. 27) at Aggie Stadium in Davis, Calif.

September 20, 2014In Down-to-Wire Battle, Second-Ranked Eagles Prevail 52-51 over No. 14 BobcatsEarlier this week, Eastern Washington University head coach Beau Baldwin said he didn’t even know if his team realized his team’s upcoming game versus Montana State was not a league game. But you certainly couldn’t tell it didn’t count in the Big Sky Conference standings by the way the teams fought in a heart-stopping 52-51 victory by the second-ranked Eagles against the No. 14 Bobcats Saturday (Sept. 20) at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Mont.

September 16, 2014Single Game Tickets For Remaining Football Games Now on SaleSingle game tickets for remaining Eastern Washington University football games are now on sale, with just general admission tickets available for the annual EWU-Montana showdown on Nov. 8.
Tickets are available at all TicketsWest outlets, including via the web (http://www.goeags.com/tickets).

September 15, 2014Eastern Plays Rare Non-Conference Game at No. 14 MSUIt’s been more than 25 years since the Eastern Washington University versus Montana State football game didn’t count in the Big Sky Conference standings. But that doesn’t lessen the importance of this week’s game when the No. 2 Eagles battle the No. 14 Bobcats in Bozeman, Mont., on Saturday (Sept. 20).

September 8, 2014Near-Miss Against Huskies Nets Adams National RecognitionIt was a loss, but a victory nonetheless for sensational Eastern Washington University junior quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. The Walter Payton Award candidate has earned a variety of awards for his school-record seven-touchdown performance in a near-miss against Pac-12 Conference member Washington last Saturday (Sept. 6).

September 1, 2014Eastern Returns to Seattle in Anticipated Matchup of Nationally-Ranked TeamsThree years later or even one, the Eastern Washington University football team finds itself in a similar situation heading to Seattle, Wash. In just their second-ever meeting against the Washington Huskies, the Eagles enter Saturday’s (Sept. 6) 12:07 p.m. game at Husky Stadium ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.

August 31, 2014No. 1 Eagles Warm-Up For No. 25 Huskies with 41-9 VictoryIt was all business from the start for the Eastern Washington University football team, but a bit sloppy after that. Big first halves for senior running back Mario Brown and junior quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. helped the Eagles open a 27-0 lead and the Eagles went on to a 41-9 victory over NAIA member Montana Western Saturday (Aug. 30) at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.

August 23, 2014Strong Second Half Gives #1 Eastern Washington Victory Over #17 Sam Houston StateIt was another offensive explosion for the top-ranked Eastern Washington University football team, but it wasn’t all to the credit of junior quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and senior running back Quincy Forte. Adams and Forte combined for 454 of Eastern’s 624 yards of total offense, and the top-ranked Eagles surged past No. 17 Sam Houston State 56-35 in a NCAA Football Championship Subdivision game dubbed the “FCS Showcase.”

August 16, 20142014 SEASON OUTLOOK: OffensePotent and prolific best describes Eastern’s offensive attack under head coach Beau Baldwin, but All-America quarterback Vernon Adams has taken it to a new level.

August 16, 2014Final Scrimmage Features Youth, Big Plays and 472 Yards of OffenseBring on the Bearkats. Led by backup quarterback Jordan West, offensive squads rolled up seven scores and 472 yards of offense as Eastern Washington University wrapped up preseason football practices with a 58-play scrimmage Saturday (Aug. 16) at Roos Field.

August 13, 2014Total of Seven Eagles on CFPA Watch ListA total of seven Eastern Washington University football players have been named to the 2014 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Watch List for their respective positions heading into the 2014 season.

August 9, 2014Plenty of Big Plays and Autographs to Go Around in First Eagle ScrimmageThere were plenty of Eagles to share to load at Eastern Washington University’s football scrimmage Saturday (Aug. 9) at Roos Field, as well as lots of autographs for fans. A large crowd showed up at the unveiling of Eastern’s 2014 schedule poster, and they were rewarded with 409 yards of offense by the Eagles and touchdowns scored by eight different players in the 75-play scrimmage to wrap-up the first full week of preseason practices.

August 8, 2014No. 1! Eagles Garner Top Spot in Sports Network Preseason PollThey’ll have to prove it on the field, but for now, the Eastern Washington University football team is No. 1 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. The Eagles, led by a trio of national awards candidates, have been selected No. 1 by The Sports Network in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision preseason poll of sportswriters, broadcasters and sports information directors announced on Friday (Aug. 8).

August 7, 2014@EWUAthletics Kickoff Celebration Set For August 22Join fellow Eagle fans and EWU alum Colin Cowherd to help kick off the 2014 Eastern Washington Football season in style at the EWU Kickoff Celebration Friday, Aug. 22, at River Park Square in downtown Spokane

August 6, 2014Back on the Red, First Scrimmage for Eagles is SaturdayAfter a week on the green grass of the Eastern Washington University Sports and Recreation Center practice fields, the Eagle Football team will move to “The Inferno” on Saturday (Aug. 9) for its first scrimmage in preparation for the team’s opener on Aug. 23.

August 4, 2014A Mere 21 Votes Behind Bison, Eagles Are No. 2 in Coaches PollBy the slimmest of margins, North Dakota State is ranked No. 1 just 21 votes ahead of Eastern Washington University in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll released Monday (Aug. 4). The other major poll – The Sports Network Top 25 – is set to be released on Aug. 8.

July 29, 2014Eagles Will Return to Lubbock to Play Texas Tech on Sept. 2, 2017Eastern Washington University head football coach Beau Baldwin will forever remember his first trip to Lubbock, Texas, and now his Eagles will make a second trip to play at Texas Tech on Sept. 2, 2017 in an announcement made jointly by the two schools on Monday (July 28).

July 28, 2014For First Time, Eagle Football Practices Start in JulyThe summer gets shorter all the time. With the earliest game in school history comes the earliest practice start, as the Eastern Washington University football team begins practices for the 2014 season this Thursday (July 31) on the Sports and Recreation Center practice fields in Cheney, Wash.

July 16, 2014Cornerback Rashad Wadood Transfers from Arizona State to EWUCornerback Rashad Wadood -- Eastern’s second Pac-12 Conference transfer in as many seasons – has been admitted and enrolled at Eastern Washington University, and will join the Eagle football program when practices begin on July 31, head coach Beau Baldwin has announced.

July 15, 2014Eagles Picked To Repeat as Big Sky ChampionsPerfection yields high expectations. A year after going an unblemished 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference for the first time in school history, the Eastern Washington University football team has been selected by both the media and coaches to win a third-straight title.

July 15, 2014Football Season Ticket Pick-Up Party Set For July 23In partnership with the Swinging Doors and Miller Lite, Eastern Washington Football season-ticket holders will have the opportunity to pick up their tickets next Wednesday, July 23, at 5:30 p.m. at the Swinging Doors in Spokane

July 14, 2014Times Set for Four More Eagle GamesFour more game times have officially been announced for the 2014 Eastern Washington University football schedule with the release of times and dates of Big Sky Conference telecasts on ROOT Sports.

July 14, 2014Eagles Land Six on Preseason All-Big Sky Conference TeamFifteen-and-one says a lot. That’s the record as a starter of Eastern Washington University junior quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., who was selected along with five other Eagles to the 2014 preseason All-Big Sky Conference team released Monday (July 14) at the Big Sky Conference Summer Football Kickoff in Park City, Utah.

July 10, 2014Ronnie Hamlin Back on Buchanan Award Watch ListNot only will he be chasing the record of J.C. Sherritt, but Eastern Washington University linebacker Ronnie Hamlin will also be chasing the same prestigious award won by the former Eagle great. Just 71 tackles behind Sherritt’s school record of 432, Hamlin has been selected as one of 20 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision players selected to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. The Buchanan Award is presented annually by The Sports Network to the top defensive player in FCS.